The district has "every reason to be proud" of its staff, and building-level teams have all made efforts to comply with AIS regulations, BOCES said in its report.

But during the audit, "it became apparent that there were deficits" with the program, and none of the district's schools have been able to provide AIS to every eligible student, BOCES said.

Overwhelming student need, staffing patterns, a lack of communication, poor relationships and inconsistent practices across schools all hinder implementation of AIS in Poughkeepsie.

The school board in February asked BOCES to audit Poughkeepsie's AIS and English as a New Language services, and the district's compliance with state Education Department regulations. BOCES submitted its report on May 15.

“The board is disappointed to find out that our worst fears have proven true: The district does not have an AIS program compliant with state requirements," board President Felicia Watson told the Poughkeepsie Journal. "The board will be issuing a directive calling for the immediate development of a comprehensive plan to rectify this situation."

Stanley Silverstone, an attorney for Superintendent Nicole Williams, said he was unable to comment on the audit by the Journal’s deadline, having not had “a chance to read and analyze the entire report.”

Audit findings

Among the findings in the audit, obtained by the Journal via a Freedom of Information request:

♦ More than 80 percent of elementary school students are eligible for AIS, based on state test scores. In the middle school, it's upwards of 90 percent.

That level of need makes it impossible for the district to fully comply with regulations, BOCES said. But that doesn't mean Poughkeepsie can't provide AIS to students in need.

"While we can appreciate that the district wants to fulfill the requirements of supporting students in need," Poughkeepsie's AIS plan does not address the needs of the current student population, BOCES said. "A new AIS plan must be written, enacted and monitored."

♦ There are "far too many teaching and administrative vacancies not filled in a timely manner," BOCES said. "Programs cannot be fairly evaluated when the full complement of staff is not there."

The high turnover rate of teachers and administrators has impacted the ability of the district to provide consistency, or put together long-term plans, said teachers union President Stephanie Green.

♦ For building principals, a "lack of communication from the central office administrators seems to have impacted their ability to garner the necessary resources and share ideas," BOCES said.

Communication is also lacking between and among the assistant superintendents and Superintendent Williams.

"Rather than a team working together for the needs of the students, during interviews we felt a sense of blame and bitterness," according to BOCES.

♦ The political climate of the district, mostly between the board majority and superintendent, "deeply affects all the players," BOCES said. "There is a sense that sides must be taken, leaving the students and building administrators adrift."

♦ There is no consistent and focused standards-based English Language Arts or math curriculum in the elementary schools.

"Without a consistent curriculum in place, teachers seek their own materials which vary in quality and applicability," BOCES said in its audit. "Therefore, there is no continuity in the district elementary schools."

At Poughkeepsie High School, "teacher work on curriculum is rapidly progressing," according to BOCES. "Interdisciplinary learning has become a major focus, thereby encouraging all students to see the connections of learning."

But while the high school offers AIS classes in a number of subjects, there is no AIS English.

♦ Differentiation — the tailoring of instruction to meet individual needs — was rarely observed or discussed during auditors' school visits, though it is occurring in several grades at Warring Elementary, BOCES said.

♦ At the Smith Early Learning Center, "learning is happening in spite of many missing pieces," according to BOCES. Pre-K and kindergarten students who attend the center are not offered music or art, and they don't have an age-appropriate playground.

"The limited resources allotted here put in question whether the district has identified early childhood education as a priority," BOCES said.

AIS regulations

AIS has been a requirement for more than 20 years, according to the state Education Department. Recently, schools have been given more flexibility when it comes to providing the services, but eligibility is determined through a two-step process.

Students who perform at or below a certain scale score on state English Language Arts or math tests are identified as eligible for AIS. After the eligible students are identified, districts apply local measures and their own policies to determine which students shall be required to receive AIS.

Districts have to develop such policies, or review the existing policies, on an annual basis. The policies have to include a description of which student performance measures and scores will be used to determine eligibility.

Poughkeepsie's plan is modeled from state regulations, according to the BOCES audit. But state regulations presume most of a district's students score on level 3 or 4.

"Poughkeepsie Schools students, like many other small urban city schools, score in the absolute reverse," BOCES said. "The overwhelming majority of Poughkeepsie students score on Level 1 and 2."